What can I say?
The next 6 weeks went by in a blur. All Hermione could remember clearly was the violent vomiting, the constant tiredness and the pee-a-lot thing. She had to get up twice every night to use the toilet. If she wasn’t getting tired from the hormones, rushing through her like Quidditch players, this would have done the trick too. Thanks to this her emotions were constantly at the point of breaking. She didn’t think she’d ever cried this much in her life. Ron made sure to tiptoe around her these days. Always expecting her to burst out crying or shouting.

On top of it all her magic seemed to misbehave at the most inconvenient times. Like in the middle of pealing the potatoes. Because of this Hermione didn’t have the energy to do much around the house anymore. When she got home from work she settled herself on het couch and steadily fell asleep, only to be woken by the smell of dinner.

Ron knew she couldn’t help it. He had let her explain what was going on. Every time she started to cry he held her close, telling her he loved her, every time she shouted at him he agreed with her till she calmed down. He was being very very reasonable and nice and patient towards her, he thought. Hermione knew that he was being a very good husband and she knew she was being a very impossible to live with wife, so she could only be thankful.

As the end of her third month of pregnancy drew closer she started to feel more energetic. People told her she was literally glowing. And she was. Her face had a healthy bright colour and her eyes shone like stars. She felt better every day. So Hermione decided she wanted to surprise Ron for being so very nice and sweet for her. She left work early that day to go and make him his favourite meal.

Tomorrow they had their appointment with Ellen. If everything look okay they would finally be able to tell everybody the wonderful news. Hermione really wanted to share it with Ginny.
Ginny had already asked her a thousand time if everything was okay. She’d heard her brother complain about Hermione being almost impossible to live with. Hermione herself often looked like she was about to burst into tears. This had worried the little redhead, though she and her mother had gossiped about it. They had come to the only logical conclusion for a woman Hermione’s age. But they didn’t say a thing.

Hermione had cooked a delicious dinner, with pie for desert. Ron was very surprised to see her in the kitchen again. He was beginning to think she’d stopped using the place. When he told her this she laughed and poured herself another glass of water. She felt very much alive today. ‘The guide’ said it would be done with the tiredness and her stupid emotional rampages now. She already felt better these past few days.

“You know Ellen comes tomorrow, right? She’ll be here around 4 o’clock. We’ll watch the baby and she is going to give me information about the second trimester of the pregnancy.” Hermione said.
“It’s going to be a lot easier, according to ‘The guide’, I’ll have energy again and my belly is going to grow. It says I will have a better control over my magic, now. But my magical energy is going to be stronger than ever. The guide warns you for subconscious spell work.”

Ron watched his wife while she told him all about the second trimester. She looked lots better these days. Her face was glowing, her eyes were shining, she looked stronger and more beautiful than ever. Without warning, interrupting a long lecture on subconscious magic, no doubt, he bent over and kissed her. Full on her mouth. Surprised by his sudden action Hermione kissed him back. They hadn’t kissed like this for ages it seemed. She put her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Without breaking their kisses they stood up and made their way to the sofa. Where they continued kissing each other. Ron had one hand tangled in her hair. His other hand was sneaking under her sweater. Hermione’s arms were still around his neck, one hand messing up his hair. The dishes where forgotten.

The next day Healer Ellen brought them very good news. The baby, now about 6 cm big, was very healthy and looked strong. Its heartbeat was stronger but a little slower now. She showed it to them on the monitor and promised them that the next time she came she would be able to tell them what gender it was, if they wanted to know.

It didn’t look like a shrimp anymore. It was now a very small human; with arms and legs and ears. Ellen was very happy with what she saw. She told them this little baby was a strong one. They could safely spread the word. When she was gone Hermione did a very non-Hermione-like dance, kissed her husband and told him she wanted to see Ginny right away. It was a good thing for them that the Potters lived only a 5 minute walk away. Hermione had once declared she wouldn’t be able to live too far from Harry and Ginny.

They had tried, living in London. But it hadn’t worked out. Hermione had needed to be closer to them. Being able to walk over and knock on the door whenever she wanted to. Harry and Ginny had moved to a house just on the coast of Wales a few months before James was born. They were followed shortly by Ron and Hermione. Living this close to the sea had always been Hermione’s dream. She loved the sound of the waves washing over the sand. The beach was only a stone’s throw away.

Hermione put on her coat and was out the door is a hurry. Ron tailed after her, a broad grin spread across his face. They walked the short distance to the Potter’s home, the bright green fences stood out in the sandy surroundings. A small house was to be seen behind them, white brick walls and reddish roof tiles. One of the windows at the second floor stood ajar and a sky blue drape blew out of it, contracting nicely with the dark blue window frame.

Hermione quickened her step. Standing before de blue door she took Ron’s hand before she knocked. The door opened its self, showing a little hallway. On the ground, crawling towards the door, was a little boy with lots of untidy black hair. Hermione picked the boy up and swung him around. She buried her face in the little boy’s hair, holding him close.

“Look who is a big boy?” she cooed, placing him on her hip. “You seem to have grown again. If you don’t slow down you’ll soon be too big for this house!” Kissing her godson on the forehead she walked through the hall, into the living room. Spread across the couch was a man, a woman stood next to him, hands on her hips. Upon hearing them enter her statue relaxed. She turned and smiled to them warmly. Her long red hair twirling through the air.

“What a lovely surprise!” she laughed skipping over to them. The man on the couch sat up, smiling too. Hermione handed him the little boy. The two of them looked so much alike. It was like seeing a tiny copy of her best friend. Though not his eyes, he had his mother’s eyes. Hermione had to suppress a giggle a the though. Though the boy looked a lot like his father there was also a lot of Weasley in him. He had well set shoulders and was already lanky for his age. He grabbed his father’s glasses with his tiny hands and put them in his mouth.
‘Another Weasley feature,’ Hermione thought to herself, ‘eating everything that fits in his mouth.’ She started laughing and found she couldn’t stop. Gasping for breath she sat down. Ginny shook her head.

“Who wants tea?” she asked. Hermione put up her hand, still giggling. James joined her in this little giggling contest setting Hermione of laughing again. Ron sat down next to her looking slightly bewildered. Ginny came back with tea and cake.

“What brings you here on a Tuesday afternoon?” Ginny asked, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

“Yeah, how did we earn this pleasure?” Harry joked.

“Well,” Hermione said “We’ve got some great news to share.” Ginny grinning knowingly, picked up her son and cuddled him. “We, I mean I, I am pregnant. Isn’t it amazing?” Hermione smiled like mad when she told her best friends.

“You are now, aren’t you?” Ginny laughed. “Didn’t I tell you not to worry, Harry? How far along are you?” Hermione grinned at her friend’s reaction.

“Three months, more or less. It has been hard, but we survived. The Healer told me the coming 3 months are going to be a lot easier. I haven’t been easy to live with, that’s for sure. But Ron has been nothing but kind and understanding. You wouldn’t believe the things he has done for me.”

Harry looked at his best friend. He clearly recalled the evenings Ron had spent here desperately, not sure if he ever wanted to go home again. (Most of those hours Hermione had spent sleeping on the couch.) He had thought something around the lines of marital problems, but why hadn’t a hormonal, pregnant wife crossed his mind. He’d had one himself, for Merlin’s sake.

“It has been hard, huh? I had no idea.” He laughed and winking at his best friend. “You want to join us for dinner? We’re having lasagna.”

“No, I don’t think that we’ll be able to, we have to visit the Burrow and I really want to tell my mom. We’ve got a busy evening ahead of us.” Hermione would have loved to stay, but she also wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley and her own mother about this.

“We’re not eating late, I’ve been a little tired lately so I’m going to sleep when James is in his bed. In fact, I wanted to have dinner in half an hour. I’d love to have you for dinner, too. Please?” Ginny looked at Hermione with a little mischievous smile on her lips. “Come on Hermione, I know you want to. We haven’t had dinner in over a month. Please, pretty please?”

Hermione knew she wouldn’t be able to tell the girl no. She was way too skilled in getting things her way. If Andromeda hadn’t been as good resisting her as she was, Ginny would have had Teddy around the house every day.

“By the way, we could have a little party at the Burrow this weekend, celebrating this great joy. You can’t keep mom from doing that anyway, but it would give you some more time.” Ginny’s reasoning was impossible to withstand. Hermione gave in with a deep sigh.

“You are very manipulative. But alright, we’ll stay for dinner. I’d love to spend some more time with my godson anyway.”

James, who had been released by his mom was crawling around the floor now, stopping here and there to pick something up.

“He discovered he can stand just days ago. It’s so adorable, watch!” Ginny said as James crawled toward a chair. He sat back on his knees. With his little hands he got the leg of the chair, pulling himself up till he was on his feet. He turned his head proudly. Hermione applauded for him, walking over to kiss the little boy on his head. He smiled at her and put out his hand. Hermione picked him up and hugged him close: “You are the most adorable boy in the world. Yes you are!”

The lasagna tasted amazing. Even James wanted to try it. The result of that being a huge mess of tomato sauce all over him. Hermione didn’t know how it happened but she was happy Ginny was the one who had to clean it up. After that they took the Floo Network to the Burrow. They scared Molly a little, appearing in the fire place unannounced. Just like Ginny she acted knowingly. She said that, after having 7 children yourself and watching almost all your daughters (in law for the most part) going through pregnancy she knew what it looked like. Arthur was a lot more surprised.

“Well isn’t that wonderful dear, a baby. You’re a little young, but I can’t really say that. I was only 20 years old, not to speak of my daughter. Well congratulations my dear. You must be so happy.” Molly Weasley was really happy too, she adored little children. So another grandchild to love was all she could wish.

The next stop was Hermione parents. But they couldn’t be reached by Floo. They had to go there by car now that Hermione couldn’t apparate any longer. By the time they left the Burrow it was half past seven and they had to drive all the way to Dartford. That would be a four hour drive. They decided to go home and visit Hermione’s parents the next day, that way Hermione could call them first and they would be prepared. Unlike the Weasley family the Grangers wanted to know about a visit in advance so they could prepare properly. And of course there was always a big chance they weren’t home.

“You, take care dear,” Molly told Hermione when they said goodbye. “Don’t stress yourself to much, if you can’t do it let your man do it. And you,” she turned toward her youngest son. “You better be good to her, don’t let me hear you causing her distress. She cannot have it in her conditions.”

“Don’t worry Molly, he has been nothing if not nice and caring. I couldn’t complain.” Hermione assured her. They then bid her goodbye for the last time and went home.

Hermione barely made it to the bedroom. She might have more energy these days, but a double visit was still a bit much. She clumsily put on her night gown, sank down on the bed and fell asleep seconds after that. Ron looked at her, laying there like she always lay. On her side, her arms close to her chess, one leg was bent, the other straight. He smiled to himself, they were only on one third of this pregnancy thing. The coming three months would be easier, but Hermione would be going to show and her belly would grow steadily bigger. It wouldn’t be comfortable for her and therefore it wouldn’t be comfortable for him.

‘What have I gotten myself into?’ He thought, but he smiled nonetheless. He was going to have his own little family now.

Unfortunatly I still don't own these amazing characters, all the credit goes to JK Rowling!

I also have to admit I got some real great help from my beta for this chapter. Without her it would still be a bit foggy in places... Thanks Charlie!